101 Dalmatians The Musical at Mayflower Southampton Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Lisa
101 Dalmatians musical can be summed up in one word – BRILLIANT! I took my nine year old daughter to see this show at the Mayflower theatre in Southampton, and it really did not disappoint. Written by Douglas Hodge (music and lyrics), Johnny McKnight (Book), and the Stage adaption by Zinnie Harris, from the start to finish we were captivated with brilliant songs, laughter and amazing puppetry. The whole show was very high energy, and the main character ‘Cruella De Vil’ (played by Kym Marsh from Coronation Street) was outstanding. She had an amazing, wicked laugh, brilliant stage presence and a beautiful voice – not to mention her crazy outfits!
The first half set the scene, with Cruella De Vil wanting to buy the puppies to make into her fur coat, and when rejected, getting her nephews to steal them for her. I was amazed by how life like the puppets were! It really made you watch them rather than the handlers, and their movements looked exactly like real dogs, down to them even looking like they were breathing at times! Perdi and Pongo were especially brilliant! The second half was even better than the first, with the opening scene being Danielle and Tom searching for their dogs in the audience with torches. There were special effects, and even a car that half collapsed! Cruella De Vil became like a dog in one part, and she started sniffing her nephew’s bottoms which had everyone laughing! There was also a scene when there were 3 puppies trying to call for their parents to find them – except one kept saying ‘I’m hungry’ instead, which made me laugh a lot as it’s like my children! The story obviously ended with Cruella De Vil being captured and all the dogs being released and making it home. They found 100 (including us in the audience) and went to get the final dog – which was a real life dalmatian puppy! I was worried about all the noise on stage singing for the dog, but he was wagging his tail so seemed happy to be there!
We had a great view from our seats in the stalls, although the chairs could have done with being a bit comfier. The scenery was fantastic throughout, ranging from the family home to where all the dogs were born, to Cruella’s ‘palace’ and the cages in the dungeon. The scene changes were flawless and they were all just what was needed to create a great show. By the last song the whole audience was joining in with clapping, and there was much cheering as everyone took their bows. It was a great show with fabulous singing and acting, lasting 2 hours 15 including a 20 minute interval where you could treat yourselves to ice creams or drinks from the bar. It made it a late night for my 9 year old, but she had so much fun it was worth it! I would definitely recommend it to other families with children aged around 5 upwards, as it would be a fun outing for the whole family!
Rating: 5/5
Cost: £24.50 – £54.50
Where: Mayflower theatre, Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1GE.
You can buy tickets here: 101 Dalmatians | Mayflower Theatre